Heat transport system

Abstract

A heat transport system of small size which can be operated in any orientation consists of a coolant loop containing a vaporizable liquid as working fluid and includes in series a vaporizer, a condenser and two one-way valves and a pressurizer connected to the loop between the two valves. The pressurizer may be divided into two chambers by a flexible diaphragm, an inert gas in one chamber acting as a pneumatic spring for the system.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A small flexible heat transport system comprising a coolant loop containing a vaporizable liquid as working fluid and including in series a vaporizer, a condenser and two valve means which permit the flow of fluid therethrough in one direction only and a pressurizer vessel containing a fixed mass of an inert gas connected to the loop between the two check valves whereby heat is transferred from the vaporizer to the condenser. 
     
     
       2. A heart transport system according to claim 1 which is capable of operation at any orientation wherein the pressurizer consists of a pressurizer vessel having a flexible diaphragm extending thereacross, there being a fixed mass of inert gas in the chamber of the pressurizer vessel remote from the coolant loop. 
     
     
       3. A heat transport system according to claim 2 in which the pressurizer vessel has a volume of 1 cubic inch. 
     
     
       4. A method of transporting heat from a heat source to a heat sink over a considerable distance comprising vaporizing a vaporizable liquid in the nucleate boiling mode with heat from the heat source, condensing the vapors thus produced by rejecting heat to the heat sink, returning the condensate to the vaporizer through two check valves in series to complete a coolant loop and driving the vaporizable liquid around the coolant loop with a pneumatic spring connected to the loop between the two check valves.